


twisted up by knaves

by brandywine421



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Gen, M/M, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Post-Iron Man 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-21
Updated: 2015-05-17
Packaged: 2018-02-05 14:45:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1822231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brandywine421/pseuds/brandywine421
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve keeps in touch with the Avengers after the Battle of New York.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Just a few drabbles of Steve making friends with the Avengers individually and finally figuring out that they've made friends with him, too. Skims over the events of IM2, Thor 2 and culminating in the aftermath of Cap 2. This was fun to write and I hope it'll be fun to read.

 

 

  
_Is it in you now,_   
_To watch the things you gave your life to broken?_   
_And stoop and build them up with worn out tools._

  
  
_"Hey, it's Steve.  I'm coming into California in a couple of days, thought we could have brunch."_  
  
Tony snorted and clicked the button on his console for speakerphone.  
  
He loved New York but he'd missed Malibu and Pepper was always happiest when she could see the ocean.  His nightmares and residual panic attacks had leashed him to the workshop but his mania was always better with a focus and, well, bots were a reasonable focus.  
  
He hadn't expected Steve Rogers, Captain Fucking America, to keep in touch after the alien invasion; especially after their introduction fiasco.  But while Cap was full of surprises all around, Tony shouldn't have been surprised he made friends with people who had no intention of being his friends in the first place.  
  
Steve had become a friend.  He called regularly, sometimes at the crackass of dawn asking about creamer versus milk, sometimes in the middle of the day when he saw a cab hit a pigeon, sometimes in the middle of the night to make sure he wasn't stuck in a nightmare.  He texted sporadically but Steve had declared Autocorrect his number two nemesis after Red Skull so Tony accepted the phone calls from him more than anyone else besides Pepper.  
  
 _"Brunch?  Did you seriously invite me to_ brunch _?"_  
  
 _"It's when you eat lunch for breakfast, or breakfast for lunch.  I want pancakes and pizza."_  
  
Tony laughed.  "That's not really how it works."  
  
 _"I know it can happen.  I am embracing the future.  Hey, should I get a SmartCar?"_  
  
He sighed.  "Are you in San Francisco?  You wouldn't even fit in a SmartCar."  
  
 _"They're everywhere, I thought it might be a thing."_  
  
He started closing down programs as he spoke.  "Hey, so I'm coming to get you."  
  
 _"Not in the suit, I have bags.  I mean, I want you to fly me around at some point while I'm in town, but shopping.  Fly down and we'll drive back.  You can help me pick out a new watch."_  
  
Tony muttered for his omnipresent AI to deploy the 'show' suit and switch over the phone call to his helmet.  "Why do you need a new watch?"  
  
 _"Pretty sure SHIELD has a tracker in everything I own, but I had an old-fashioned kind that you have to wind and I think they broke it.  The tick's not the same,_ " Steve said, his voice fading.  
  
Time was kind of a 'thing' with Steve.  
  
 _"I'll get you fixed up, Cap.  I'm coming to you so hang out near a Starbucks."_  
  
"I'm always near a Starbucks, Tony."

* * *

  
"Bruce and I are going to the mountains in a couple of days so he can let the Hulk out," Steve said, smearing ketchup over his chin as he tried to wipe his mouth.  He was a messy eater but Tony didn't hold it against him as long as he didn't choke on the overload of carbs.  
  
"You guys are still doing that?"  
  
Steve shrugged.  "He says it's helping.  He's been taking the subway and that's a huge thing for him."  
  
Tony nodded.  Bruce had settled into Stark Tower's multilevel lab and despite his hermit tendencies had become a good friend to Tony and Steve, among others.  Bruce talked to Steve more than anyone else even if they were rarely photographed together.  
  
Steve hadn't taken to paparazzi well at first, but he was much more comfortable now.  There was a cluster of paps outside of the bistro where they were eating today but Steve hadn't missed a step.  
  
"Send me the details, I'll try and do a fly-by at least," Tony said.  
  
Steve folded his napkin and laid it over his conquered meal.  "So.  I'm moving to DC."  
  
He was surprised.  "But Brooklyn..."  
  
"I don't think I'm doing as well as I could be," Steve sighed before he could go on.  "I can't stay in my apartment longer than a few hours and when I go outside, I can't make it to the end of the block before I start checking for snipers.  And my watch is broken."  
  
"Are you still sleeping on the floor?" Tony asked quietly.  
  
"Under the bed lately," Steve murmured.  "How are you?"  
  
"Panic attacks aren't getting much better.  I'm basically living in my workshop," he admitted.  
  
Steve hummed solemnly.  "People keep saying it takes time.  So we'll give it some more time, yeah?"  
  
"Yeah," Tony replied.  He raised his fist and Cap bumped his knuckles against his.  Pepper kept saying he needed to talk to someone but he talked to Cap and that should count even if neither of them had figured out a solution yet.  "DC, though, really?"  
  
"SHIELD's still sending me on blind ops and I don't know how much longer I can be their puppet without knowing who's pulling the strings.  I need a better perspective to get my head around the politics," Steve said.  
  
"As long as you know what you're getting into," Tony replied.  
  
"Never do," Steve smiled.  "Got a couch for me to crash on, old man?"

* * *

  
  
Clint raised his hand to acknowledge Cap's wave across the crowded bar and elbowed his way over to his booth.  "Crowded tonight, what game's on?"  
  
"Hockey, I think.  It's not baseball so I don't care," Steve replied, texting deftly with his massive hands.  "Pepper's worried because Tony's only harassed three nurses today."  
  
"He really got the nightlight removed?  Huh."  Clint didn't really think he would do it, but he didn't know Stark as well as he knew Nat.  And now Steve, in a 'bro' kind of way.  "Did he call you when all that shit was going down?"  
  
"It was his fight.  They messed with his girl, he would have called if he couldn't handle it," Steve answered absently.  
  
Clint considered it.  "You sure about that?"  
  
"He texted me that he was alive before his big showdown, he had it under control.  What about you?  Heard you had a thing in Brazil go boom," Steve said, tucking his phone away and focusing on him as the waitress brought a fresh pitcher and glass.  
  
"I think they're sending me on these runs to try and get me killed off," Clint muttered.  
  
Steve hmm'ed.  "I thought about that.  They've been sending me out with Natasha and Rumlow even when I request you specifically.  I'm supposed to be running the ops, but they won't let me pick my support teams."  
  
Clint knew Cap looked out for him as much as he could, the same way he looked out for all of them.  He had turned down the Army's request for his 'reenlistment' with an unsaid but totally clear 'fuck you, General Ross' for Bruce's benefit and he had done three top-rated debates on Fox News to shut them up about having a Russian spy as a member of Captain America's team.  Every time a tabloid flashed a cover about Tony and Pepper's relationship woes, Steve would make a public appearance with one or both of them for an instant boost of respectability.  
  
"If they wanted you dead, they would have taken you out already.  There's too much going on behind the scenes for me to say anything, but..."  
  
"But what?"  
  
Steve met his gaze and took a long swallow of beer.  "Coulson's alive.  He's got his own team, his own quinjet.  Fury and Hill are in on it, I don't know who else, but..."  
  
"Shit," Clint hissed.  He would know - Fury would have told him, he wouldn't...  "Shit."  
  
"Yeah.  I haven't told anyone else," Steve said.  "Me and Natasha are kind of close to this.  If the bigwigs are going to keep you second string, that gives you more room to do recon.  Find out what else they're hiding from us."  
  
"Even when I didn't trust SHIELD, I trusted Coulson," Clint said darkly.  He'd followed the man unquestionably but he'd never been completely sure if they were friends off the clock.  He trusted Phil as a boss, as a leader and he thought as a friend but he had been wrong before.  He had never been to Phil's place but he'd helped Steve hang curtains in Brooklyn, DC and Vegas.    
  
"He was dead, Clint.  If he's not now, that means something was done, probably something we wouldn't approve of, probably something illegal or inhumane.  Before we start blaming people, we need to know what we're blaming them for," Steve replied evenly, not mentioning Clint's flinch of emotion.  "We don't know enough yet to make any judgments."  
  
He nodded.  "Still.  Shit.  Give me everything you've got on it."  
  
Steve snorted.  "You just got it.  Maria's got loose lips when she drinks tequila but not that loose."  
  
Clint blinked at him.  "You've got to be joking."  
  
Steve shrugged.  "I like Maria."  
  
"She wants to get in your pants," he snickered and Cap flushed.  He may be an epic strategist but he was an epic fail at women.  
  
"She's nice."  
  
He laughed out loud.  "Cap, Maria Hill is definitely not nice, not even her eyefucking is nice."  The way she watched him was more predatory than anything.  
  
" _Eyefucking_?  Is that a thing?"  Steve covered his face.  "Never mind."

* * *

  
"Thanks for coming with me, Cap," Bruce said honestly as they climbed out of the cab outside of the Baxter Building.  
  
"Seriously, it's not a problem.  Johnny's been on my back for weeks about coming over and Sue made muffins," Steve replied easily.  
  
Bruce snorted.  Cap liked everybody but the Richards clan was better taken in small doses than all at once.  
  
"You like Richards, why do you need backup?" Steve asked as he waved at the old man behind the counter.  
  
"Johnny Storm makes my neck itch," Bruce admitted.  He had a _unique_ relationship with the kid, but he wasn't making up the neck itch.  "I need a buffer."  
  
"I'm cool with hanging out when you let your Hulk out, I'm sure I can hang out while you get your science out.  But you owe me a Monty Python marathon," Steve replied as the elevator dinged and Sue Storm greeted them with a bright smile.  
  
"We do that anyway," Bruce smiled.  
  
"Susan, you look great, thanks for having us over," Steve said, greeting her with a warm hug and did better than Bruce in avoiding prolonged admiration of her curves.  
  
"Any time, it's nice to have visitors that aren't active members of the military trying to screw us," she said, waving them inside.  
  
Steve and Bruce glanced at each other.  "Trouble?"  
  
She sighed.  "Not yet.  But soon, probably.  Reed's on the cusp of a breakthrough and the navy and the army were both here yesterday.  We had to send Johnny down to scare off SHIELD this morning.  Agent Sitwell hates Johnny more than Bruce does."  
  
Bruce flushed but didn't deny it.  Johnny hyped up their dislike for reasons they weren't allowed to talk about.  
  
"You're not supposed to be on SHIELD's radar.  I'll check into it," Steve said.  
  
She waved him off.  "We'll talk about it later, Reed's already bouncing off the walls in anticipation of his play date and Johnny has a stack of video games he wants you to play with him.  I'm going shopping with Alicia while you two babysit."  
  
Steve turned to Bruce.  "I'll check on you every time my avatar dies in a fiery crash."  
  
"Then you might as well camp out in the lab, Cap," Bruce grinned.  "I'll be fine."  
  
"Marco Polo?" Steve suggested with a wink.  
  
He rolled his eyes and headed into Reed's lab, but he knew he'd yell 'Polo' when Cap called for him.  
  
He'd been alone, isolated for so long trying to protect the people who would come into his orbit - but Cap and in his own way, Tony, had given him a tether to the humanity he believed he'd lost.  Steve would listen to him babble out theories they both knew he didn't understand when Bruce couldn't sleep or felt the monster twitching under his skin.  Steve would pick him up naked from the Harbor without a blink, waving a helmet at the Hulk and insisting he couldn't ride the Harley if he didn't let Bruce out.  Steve would roll joints for him and Tony when they were shaking too much to hold a glass of water let alone pack a bong.  
  
Somehow, Cap had become someone he trusted implicitly and the Hulk, hell, the Hulk trusted him, too.  That meant everything.  
  
He didn't bring Steve along today as a buffer; he wanted to keep him close.  He had a bad feeling about Steve's growing ties to SHIELD and he needed to talk to him before it was too late.  Steve was always in a good mood after hanging out with Johnny.  
  
"Bruce, thanks for coming," Reed greeted him in front of a tantalizingly intricate equation scrawled on his white board.  
  
"Any time, Reed.  Before you tell me absolutely everything about that math, did you..."  
  
Reed stretched his hand across the room and switched on a computer.  "He's got at least three tails on him at all times and they're putting trackers in his shirt buttons, so it's good he's switched over to t-shirts when he's out and about.  I'm pretty sure he's aware they're watching him, Bruce."  
  
"I know, but they might not know that we're watching them watch him," Bruce replied.  "I don't think he knows what he's getting into."  He scanned the summarized Intel before turning to Reed.  "Okay.  We'll talk about this after you tell me about that polymer and why the government wants it bad enough to show up at your house."

* * *

  
"Thor.  I'm sorry about your mother.  And your brother," Steve said.  
  
Thor was surprised that Steve would add Loki to his condolences, but appreciated the thought.  The man was honorable and kind in a way he found most Midgardians lacked.  He was lucky to have Jane and her friends as his guides considering some of the others he'd met.  
  
He could not trust everyone, but he already trusted Captain Rogers.  Now that he was Steve, he considered him a friend.  
  
Thor enjoyed his time with Jane but her science was unintelligible to him and Steven was a great distraction with his tales of equal confusion with his own in Midgard.  Thor was out of place and so was the Captain.  
  
They had both lost much to battles not their own.  
  
"How fares the Widow and Hawk?" Thor asked to change the subject from his own troubles.  He had already spent many hours talking to Steve about his sorrows over the phone but they were in the same room tonight and they should talk of other things so their friendship was not based on 'drama alone'.  Darcy was very wise.  
  
"Good, I think.  I haven't seen Clint for a few weeks but Natasha's still as deadly as ever," Steve replied.  
  
"She is indeed a formidable warrior.  You seem unsettled," Thor stated.  He was worried about his friend.  He was more subdued that he seemed on the telephone.  
  
Steve sighed as if he was carrying the weight of the Nine Realms on his shoulders.  "Something's not right.  I mean, it's just a feeling but something tastes bad...everywhere."  
  
Thor nodded, thoughtful.  There were reasons that Jane had not contacted SHIELD when Malekith attacked.  Trust had not been fully earned then, and now, the only reason he continued his contact with them was because of the Captain, the Widow and the Hawk.  
  
"I'm looking into it, but...I'm tired," Steve continued.  "Sometimes I just want to take a break, but I already had a 70 year break."  
  
"I understand your reasoning, but I also know from experience that you must take time to reflect when faced with a problem such as this.  impulsiveness may work for men like Anthony, but it does not work for men like us.  You must rest your mind at some point if you want to see things clearly," Thor replied.  "I enjoy fornication as a worthy distraction, to lose all worries in my lovely Jane's..."  
  
"Okay, Thor," Steve stopped him.  "I get it."  
  
"Apologies," he winked at his easily scandalized friend.  "I was working toward a point."  
  
"I know," Steve smiled.  "I'm taking my break with you tonight.  We have to trade lists so we can talk about our 'cultural education'."  
  
Thor laughed and clapped him on the back.  "Yes, Steve, I am eager to improve my education in all the ways of The Mighty Netflix."

* * *

  
"'Tasha.  Call Bruce.  He's my medical proxy," Steve whispered, tugging on her sleeve with busted and bleeding fingers, his voice hoarse with bile and blood.    
  
She didn't question him, not now, not when SHIELD was in ashes and she was betrayed.  "Banner?"  
  
"Don't...don't let him come here, targets, they're targets - don't...but the docs could be -  make sure he knows I'm dying...it's important..." Steve choked up a spray of red and she shook him roughly against the stretcher.  
  
"Shut up, you're not..."  
  
"He didn't even know me, he didn't..." Steve mumbled, his grip going lax on her sleeve as his battered face twisted in agony as the helicopter hit another bump of air.  
  
"How's he doing?" Sam yelled from the cockpit.  
  
"Hurry!" she screamed back, unable to control her tone.  
  
Not Cap, not Steve.  He was a good partner, a fucking friend - God help her - they were friends and he was dying, bleeding out under her hands because of the people she'd served for years.  
  
"It's okay, Steve, you're going to be fine - there are too many things I still need to yell at you for," Natasha said, grabbing his chin and trying to make him look at her.  
  
"Don't let them cut me open, ask Howard, he'll...please, please..." Steve mumbled, unfocused.  
  
"Please," she repeated.  He turned his head away in a muffled sob and she saw the smear of blood where she'd touched his chin.  
  
Her fingers fumbled but she managed to dial the phone she'd snitched from Hill earlier and held the phone between her sore shoulder and her cheek so she could keep the pressure on at least one of the holes in Steve's body.  God, was his suit even bulletproof?  
  
 _"Stark."_  
  
She had to remember how to breathe to find the air to speak.  "I need to talk to Bruce, is he there?  I need to talk..."  
  
" _He's right here but I'm putting you on speaker - what the - "_ Tony's voice faded slightly as he wound up for his interrogation.  
  
She couldn't deal with him right now.  "Bruce - Cap says you're his medical proxy - "  
  
 _"Yes,  but -_ " Bruce started.  
  
"He's real bad," Natasha interrupted.  "SHIELD Medical isn't an option anymore and half the people in this chopper are supposed to be dead.  He needs a hospital, he fucking needs help but it's not safe for you to get involved - "  
  
 _"Hey, slow down, Natasha, we're going to_ \- " Tony began.  
  
"Howard - I'm sorry - I didn't, tell him I'm sorry, he didn't know me, he didn't know him - " Steve said suddenly, his fingers clenching at her wrists over his stomach.  " _Please_..."  
  
"Shh, Cap, just hold on, you're going to be..."  
  
 _"Take him to General, Dr. Harkness will meet you on the helipad.  She's a friend I trust, one Cap trusts.  We have plans for this,_ " Bruce said.  _"I was texting while you were talking."_  
  
"Who?" Tony and Natasha asked together.  
  
 _"I can't talk about it and you should both know better than to ask me right now - Natasha, what exactly is going on?  What happened to him?  Was it the helicarriers or - "_  
  
"I have to go," Natasha said, dropping the phone as Steve's body arced under her hands.  "Sam, I need you!"

* * *

  
Pepper left her phone with Happy when she stepped into the hospital's staff entrance.  She couldn't deal with Tony and Bruce's constant texts between emails from the board protesting the immediate shutdown of Stark Industries while HYDRA was purged from their rosters.  
  
She didn't know if the stock market would recover from this once the cockroaches skittered into the light.  
  
She didn't know if Tony would recover if Steve didn't make it.  
  
"Sam Wilson?" She tapped the tall man on the shoulder and he jumped.  
  
"How'd you get in here?" he asked, appraising her with sharp eyes.  
  
"I'm Pepper Potts, a friend of Steve's."  
  
His face flashed with recognition.  "Stark's girl, yeah.  He's in with the doctors, Natasha's handling the press, I think.  I don't know where she goes," he sighed.  
  
She knew how it was to be dragged into superhero battles out of loyalty without preparation for the costs.  
  
Pepper patted his arm.  "Well, let's go see what the doctors are saying.  I have medical details they can use."  She didn't wait for him to follow him and moved through the doors into the hospital room.  
  
She forced her eyes away from the blood dripping on the floor and filling tubes stuck into Steve's body.  
  
It had taken Tony a few weeks to find the cure for the Extremis that should have killed her in a flashbang of fire and Steve had visited often, complaining about her quarantine more than she did and watching hours of Remington Steele with her until she could rest.  He was one of the few people that she trusted to look after Tony when she was too overheated to get near him.  
  
"Dr. Harkness?" she called, and one of the doctors turned with bright blue eyes.  Pepper didn't recognize her but she felt like she should.  "Dr. Banner sent me with medication ratios that can help, he also wants to know what kind of injuries - "  
  
"No time for that, let me see the med list," the woman said, snatching the tablet.  "At least three gunshots, the one to the gut is the worst, he's healing around the shrapnel before we can repair the damage and we're only going to make it worse if - he's in shock, he's critical."  
  
Pepper glanced at Sam and could see he picked up on the doctor being more worried than a stranger should be.  
  
"Get out of here, everybody out - I need to make a call," Harkness said suddenly and the milling doctors scurried out of the room but Pepper and Sam moved to the gurney.  
  
Steve's eyes were dull and tracking the air and his arms and legs were loosely strapped with elastic cuffs to the table.  
  
"Bruce, it's me - it's  - the only way I can fix this is the one thing we promised we'd never do to him - I can't - you're his proxy and I need you to tell me what to do here, without doing that," Harkness said into the phone.  
  
Pepper cupped Steve's cheek but his eyes didn't settle, darting over her face without pause.  "Whatever it takes, lady, you do it," Sam said behind her.  
  
"Steve, hey, look at me, Cap," she whispered.  He finally met her gaze with a small smile that had to hurt.  
  
"Pepper.  Softest hands I know," Steve whispered.  "Am I dead yet?"  
  
"No, sweetie, you're going to be all right.  The doctor's talking to Bruce, are you with us?"  
  
"He didn't even know me," Steve said, his eyes drifting away.  
  
Dr. Harkness pushed the phone back into her hands and leaned over Steve.  "Rogers," she said sternly but her eyes were distant as if she was reciting a script.  "Look at me, Soldier."  
  
He snapped his eyes to her.  "What - are you a doctor?"  
  
Pepper heard Bruce repeating her name and raised the phone to her ear.  "Yeah, I'm here."  
  
 _"Pepper, Sue's going to lower Cap's body temp so she can get that lead out of him.  Are you there?"_  
  
"Wait - she's going to freeze him?" Pepper turned away from the bed and only Sam's hand on her elbow kept her from rushing from the room to yell at him.  
  
 _"Whatever it fucking takes, Pepper.  I don't care if he hates me for it, as long as he's alive to hate me, it'll be worth it.  If it's as bad as...she wouldn't suggest it if it wasn't the only way.  Are you listening?  Can you make Cap listen?"_  
  
She sucked in a breath.  If it was Tony, would she do it?  
  
Fuck yes.  _Anything_.  She lowered the phone and turned around.  "Harkness, what do you need?"  
  
"Get those nurses back in here and cross all your fingers," the doctor said.

* * *

  
_"Hey."_  
  
Bruce steadied himself with a hand on the wall, stuck between the kitchen and the den of TVs in Tony's New York penthouse.  "Cap, are you all right?"  
  
 _"Don't think so.  Sue's mean."_  
  
"Sue is worried," Bruce countered.  "So am I and everyone in the world that isn't working for HYDRA.  Did - Steve, I told her to do it..."  
  
 _"I know.  I'm okay.  I don't remember it so it's okay and we don't have to talk about it.  Are you safe?  Tony?"_  
  
"Yeah, we're waiting to hear you're okay before we drag you back here and question you.  So tell me again, Cap.  Are you okay?"  
  
 _"Physically, I'm going to be fine.  What do you know about the rest?"_  
  
"SHIELD sent an assassin after you and you ruined a shit-ton of HYDRA's plans.  Your buddy Wilson isn't telling anyone anything and we can't get through to Natasha," Bruce replied, not bothering to hide his frustration.  
  
 _"She wants to keep your hands clean.  She's taking a lot of risks but she wants to do it.  Bruce...do you remember me talking about Bucky and the train?"_  
  
He paused.  Of course Bruce remembered.  "Yeah, Steve.  What does he..."  
  
 _"He's the Winter Soldier.  He's the assassin.  They pulled him out of the ice and brainwashed him.  He looked right in my eyes and didn't know me.  He didn't know me and...it's Bucky_ ," Steve confided in a broken whisper.  _"I couldn't...I couldn't kill him.  I can't - I have to find him."_  
  
"Fuck, Steve.  You're not going to do a damned thing until we talk about this in person."  Bruce knew how far Steve would go for Bucky, how much he'd risked in his 'first life' for the man.  
  
 _"I think he killed Howard.  I think he caused the accident.  Bucky...he knew how I felt about Howard, he would never...he's not my Bucky."_  
  
At least Steve had a little common sense in his head trying to break through.  "Steve.  When does Susan think you'll be able to travel?  You're not healthy enough to go on a manhunt, tell me you get that."  
  
 _"I…shit.  I don't even know where to start.  I need a time out.  Sam put me in time out."_  
  
"Good for Sam.  When can we come get you?" Bruce asked.  Tony's head snapped up as he managed to move into the actual room.  
  
 _"Sue's smuggling me out as soon as I'm off the dialysis thing.  She said there are tons of press at the tower so she's taking me back to the Baxter Building.  She said you had plans in place, do you want to tell me about those now or - "_  
  
Bruce snorted but he was stuck on the 'dialysis' mention.  God.  "You don’t get to ask about that yet.  I never trusted SHIELD and I definitely wouldn't trust them with you or myself if we're injured…as badly as you were injured.  We have a lot to talk about but - "  
  
 _"Have you heard from Barton or Thor?"_  
  
Bruce mouthed the question to Tony who circled his finger for him to put the call on speaker.  "I'm bringing Tony in."  
  
"Barton's off the grid, we can't get a lead on him at all but your phone's been offline for the past couple of days and Thor's waiting for the all clear to come over," Tony said.  " _Cap_."  
  
Steve inhaled at the word, understanding what Tony meant without either of them having to say it.  " _I'm okay, I'll be okay.  Um.  I lost the shield."_  
  
Bruce snorted.  He wondered how long it had taken him to ask about his shiny security blanket.  "No you didn't, your friend's just keeping it away from you to make sure you don't pull any more tubes out.  We're onto you."  
  
 _"Catheters are a no-go, I might forgive you for freezing me enough to cut me open, but I won't forgive you for letting them mess with my junk,_ " Steve muttered.  
  
"Cap," Tony said softly.  
  
Steve sighed heavily.  _"I'm a little messed up right now, Tony.  Bad.  I have to go, Sue's glaring at me through the window._ "  
  
The line went dead and Tony deflated against the couch.  "Fuck, Bruce."  
  
"The assassin, he says it's Bucky Barnes, he's…" Bruce said, collapsing beside him.  
  
"Jesus.  I need to talk to him in person, if the Winter Soldier…the leaked documents say he killed my…"  
  
Bruce nodded.  "He knows but I don't know if he was going to tell you this soon.  The Four are getting him out of the hospital but I can sneak us in as soon as I get the word."  
  
"Are you and Reed working on stuff together?" Tony asked absently.  
  
"Sometimes," he hedged.  He wasn't ready to admit to cradle-robbing just yet, especially not before he told Cap himself that he was, kind of, _maybe_ , seeing Johnny Storm on the sly.  "I'm going to call him to check on the arrangements."  
  
"Before all that - why the hell are you his medical proxy?  I mean, I know you're close but - " Tony blurted out.  
  
Bruce took a deep breath.  "You're his next of kin, Tones, but he and I are going to live longer than any of the rest of you, omitting Thor and he's not always easy to contact.  The superserum…we can't let what happened to me happen to anyone else and we definitely can't let anyone get their hands on our blood."  
  
Tony scrubbed a hand over his face.  "I will protect you both if it ever comes to that - it's a good idea but I wish I had known.  Wait.  I'm next of kin?"  
  
He rolled his eyes.  "Take your moment and then check the news again."

* * *

  
"I wish at least one of you would just knock instead of scaring the shit out of me all day every day.  I'm getting a complex," Sam Wilson groaned when he spotted Clint in the corner.  
  
"Maybe if your security was better, you'd know we were coming," Clint replied.  "Who else has been by?"  
  
"Big guy chased off everyone not on the list, and there isn't anyone on the list right now." Sam motioned to Ben Grimm sitting vigil in the hallway outside of the room.  "He's friendly enough but damn, he packs a punch."  Clint had already noticed the property damage on his way in but he didn't know what The Thing was doing here.  
  
Clint turned his attention to the bed where Steve looked like a steamroller had smashed him flat.  His eyes were closed but his face was lined with pain.  "Thanks for watching his back, Wilson."  It should have been Clint but the new guy pulled his weight.  
  
"Stark's looking for you," Sam replied, accepting his words with a nod.  
  
"A lot of people are looking for me, not all of them for nice reasons," he replied.  "I trust Cap and Nat, the rest of my list are dead or unknown right now.  What's his status?"  
  
"He'll be okay, it was touch and go for a while.  I'm more worried about what's going on in his head than his physical injuries," Sam said.  
  
Clint put down his bag.  "I'm not going anywhere.  I have a lot of reading to do and you need a nap.  I don't work for SHIELD anymore, but I'm assigning myself to his security detail until he tells me who I need to kill for fucking him up."  
  
"Get in line, buddy," Sam said.  He tapped on his phone and hummed under his breath.  "Nick cleared you, he'd like to have a conversation with you soon.  We're out of burner phones at the moment but we're due a delivery."  
  
"Nick.  Nick Fury?  Damn, he's like a cockroach," Clint muttered, but a weight lifted off his mind.  "How…"  
  
"Science," Sam shrugged.  "I'm not cut out for superspy shit, I'm just here for Cap."  
  
"I think a lot of us are going for that this time.  I killed a lot of people for those assholes and I'd really like to know…"  
  
"From what I can tell, this has been going on a long time.  Way long," Sam said, slumping down in his seat.  "Wake me when the hot doc comes back, I think I'm making progress."  
  
He'd known Cap was sniffing around SHIELD -  that he didn't trust them; hell, he'd put Clint on the trail of Zombie Coulson - but this was never supposed to happen.  This was bigger than Clint could process and there wasn't a fix in sight.  
  
Steve blinked awake and his eyes flashed with panic for a moment before he locked on Clint.  "You're okay?"  
  
"I had to kill a few people that I thought were on my side, but I'm intact.  You look like shit," he replied.  "Want to talk about it?"  
  
"Not yet.  It's a long story and there's a lot," Steve said hoarsely.  
  
Clint took the nearby pitcher and filled a small cup with water, swatting his swollen hands away and holding it to his mouth.  "You gotta give me something here."  He lowered his voice.  "I've watched the tapes, every angle I could find and I saw you.  I saw you fall, but I saw you lie there and let the shit get beaten out of you before that.  There is no reason you couldn't have gotten out of there before you fell."  
  
"It's complicated, Clint.  It wasn't like that," Steve whispered, turning his face away.  
  
"Then tell me what it was like, Cap," Clint said.  "Please.  I just had my whole world crash down around me and I need to know what's going on in your head right now."  
  
Steve shifted uncomfortably and turned to Sam slumped in the chair.  "I know you're not sleeping, Sam.  Go tell Sue that I'm ready to go."  
  
Sam opened one eye.  "You told me you didn't know the hot doc's name."  
  
"She's taken, Sam.  Thanks," he called after the man when he ducked out of the room.  
  
Steve turned his attention back to Clint and motioned to the rail on the bed.  "Help me up, Clint."  
  
He sighed and helped him sit up and swing his legs over the edge.  "The Winter Soldier.  He's Bucky.  They did something to him, they made him a killer...I looked at him and I knew...but he doesn't know me.  He looked right through me, like I was nothing.  Another mark."  
  
Clint shuddered involuntarily.  He'd heard enough stories to know that Barnes was everything to Steve.  "Fuck, Steve."  
  
"I don't understand how it works.  I don't know what they did to him, how they broke him, but...I'd rather be dead than have to live knowing that he's..."  
  
"Don't make me smack you, Cap," Clint interrupted.  
  
"We got you back from Loki.  I want to think I can help him but...he looked right through me.  He doesn't know me," Steve said.  "I have no idea what to do.  I did my part, we got those helicarriers out of the sky but then - "  
  
"You lost the plot, it happens," Clint said, putting a hand carefully on his shoulder and squeezing.  They'd all been HYDRA's puppets without the brainwashing.  
  
Steve sighed but nodded.  
  
"Hey.  If there's a way to get him back, we'll find it.  But you've got to walk this off right now.  You're a hot mess."  
  
Steve stifled a laugh with a wince and Clint didn't lower his hand.  
  
He wasn't going to let this break his Captain, his friend.  He didn't think he was willing to follow anyone else's orders after everything he'd learned.

* * *

  
"Shit, Sue is pissed, if she finds out...oh.  Stark."  Johnny narrowed his eyes at him but Tony turned around and faced Bruce down.  
  
He pointed at him.  "I am going to make so much fun of you in a controlled environment later."  
  
Bruce avoided his eyes but his cheeks burned.  "Mind taking one for the team, Tony?"  
  
He rolled his eyes and normally wouldn't lift a finger to help Johnny Storm but he needed to see Cap.  He waved the two men off and made his way from the hidden stairwell to the main lab.  "Richards, I expected you to have a better security system but it was pathetically easy for me to find a way in," he said.  He spotted Steve immediately in only loose running shorts and painted with stitches and bruises.  
  
Reed and Sue frowned in his direction but didn't stop him from hurrying to Steve's side.  
  
"Hey, Tony.  It looks worse than it feels," Steve said.  Sue threw her hands up and stormed out of the room.  
  
"You are an awful patient, worse than Johnny and that's nearly impossible.  Don't you dare let him move, Tony," Reed said, following his wife out of the room.  
  
Steve plucked at a leftover electrode over his heart.  "So."  
  
"I hate heavy conversations, Cap, but I think we need to have one," Tony said.  
  
Steve nodded.  "Yeah.  I need to tell you some things."  
  
"I know the Winter Soldier killed my parents," Tony said.  
  
Cap sucked in a breath.  "Bucky wouldn't have done it.  That's, it wasn't my Bucky.  If he could kill Howard..." He took another breath and dropped his gaze to the floor.  
  
"Cap.  It's okay, all right?"  It wasn't but Tony had been more bothered by Obadiah Stane's name on the top of HYDRA's roster than the man that pulled the actual trigger.  
  
"I don't know what to do.  I don't know how to fit this together in my head, I've got tunnel vision and I need..."  
  
"What do you need, Cap?" Tony asked, sitting down beside him.  He'd never seen Steve this upset, even behind his mask of stoicism, he was fucking upset.  
  
Steve shuddered.  "I need _help_."  
  
Clint and Sam, the guy that filled Cap's flying sidekick quota in this battle stepped into the room.  
  
"We're trying to have a moment here, guys," Tony said, but offered his hand to shake for both of them.  
  
"Any reason you're not lying down?" Sam questioned suspiciously.  
  
Tony met Clint's gaze and could tell they were on the same page about Cap's current state.  
  
"I need to walk it off," Steve replied quietly.  
  
"Natasha's on her way, she's pretty pissed you're making camp over here.  She hates Johnny," Clint said.  
  
"You know who _doesn't_ hate Johnny?" Tony asked when Bruce walked into the room.  
  
"Shut up, Tony," Bruce frowned.  "Can we start the intervention without her?"  
  
"There's a Viking hanging out with Ben on the roof, you should probably get him, too," Sam said.  
  
"I don't need an intervention - " Steve muttered.  
  
"No, what you need is a night of actual sleep and to turn over some of your duties to your team," Tony replied.  He lowered his voice.  "You said you have tunnel vision but you have to shift your focus for a second and give us a little more to go on.  Okay?"  
  
Steve nodded and visibly steadied himself.  Sam gave him a dirty look but Tony had been Steve's friend longer and knew how to read him, he hoped.  
  
"I'm not letting him out of my sight," Clint said.  "I'm on guard duty until he tells me who to shoot and since he won't let me shoot Barnes, that means I'm glue."  
  
Tony agreed with that plan and gave him a fist bump.  
  
Sue walked in with Natasha and Thor and shooed them away from the bed to scan Steve and place a stack of folded clothes on his lap.  
  
Tony turned to the spy.  
  
"It's a goddamn shitstorm," she said.  
  
"Pepper says the same, she has to overhaul the entire staff of SI and shutting down production this long is probably going to put us out of business," he replied.  It had taken everything he had to convince her to stay in the tower without hopping a plane to run damage control in person but it wasn't safe.  
  
Sue cleared her throat.  "He needs to stay off his feet, no more walking on his leg and absolutely no solid foods.  I know he heals but he has to rest for that and you can see by the stitches how well that's going.  Are we clear?  I want him to stay here until his levels even out."  She patted his head fondly and he rolled his eyes.  
  
"We have to plan, am I allowed to plan?" Steve asked.  
  
"If you lie down, you can plan all you want.  Reed's watching the feeds, yell if you need us," Sue replied.  
  
"You're not getting involved?" Bruce questioned.  
  
"They've never been affiliated with SHIELD, they don't need to start now.  We're going to need all the allies we can get outside of this mess," Steve said.  
  
"Speaking of outside allies, Xavier called asking about you, said Wolverine was in a snit over that Winter Soldier guy," Johnny chimed in.  
  
"Okay.  Thanks, guys," Steve said, waiting until Sue and Johnny were out of the room before turning to the rest of them.  "Okay."  
  
"Have you even had time to think of a plan?" Sam asked.  
  
"Cap's always planning," Bruce replied.  
  
Steve snorted and put a hand to his head.  "Yeah, but you're not all going to like it.  Sam, I need you and Natasha to work the politics side of it.  You're the only person on the team that has no links to SHIELD and you know how to work with the military.  Are you up for that?  Both of you?"  
  
"I've already made my splash in DC, might as well keep swimming," Natasha said.  "As long as you're not doing it to keep me out of the fights."  
  
"What she said," Sam agreed.  
  
"You're not getting a desk job any time soon, this is all triage.  Clint's with me, he was with SHIELD long enough to spot agents I may not recognize and he's suspicious enough to check my decisions."  Steve turned to Tony.  "I need you to take point on the Avenger's PR.  I don't want you back in the suit, not yet, but it might be nice to have some of those robots without you inside for air support until you get Sam in the sky again.  I need you to be our public face."  
  
"Are you sure about that?  My popularity rating fluctuates as much as SI stock lately," Tony hedged.  
  
"But you know the game and we don't," Steve replied.  "Thor, I want you to be our ambassador overseas, SHIELD is not exclusive to America and you have Allspeak and can fly over faster and safer than the rest of us.  You're a prince, you know how to be diplomatic."  
  
Thor frowned.  "I am a warrior, not a prince on Midgard."  
  
"Triage," Tony said.  "We'll hang, I'll get you up to date."  
  
"It's going to be more about cleaning out the HYDRA operatives and giving the agents loyal to SHIELD an exit no matter what country they've been working out of; but you'll have to deal with the local governments," Steve said.  "I want all of you to know that this is going to get worse before it gets better and I'm still going to need you to suit up, but we have to get the government's claws out of us.  We won't be able to beat supervillains if we have our own military after us."  
  
He turned to Bruce.  "I need you to go through the leaked files and find out everything you can about their experiments, I know it's a lot but…"  
  
"Don't worry, I'm all over that already.  And Reed's not an Avenger, but SHIELD had a lot of his tech, too so we've been sorting through as much as we can," Bruce said.  
  
Clint glanced at him.  "Anything on TAHITI in there?"  
  
"We're not to the T's yet, why?" Bruce asked immediately.  
  
"Coulson's alive because of some super-secret experiment but I haven't been able to dig up anything in the publicly leaked files," Clint said.  
  
Natasha hissed.  "What?"  
  
"Yeah, what?" Tony asked.  "Seriously?"  
  
"I asked Clint to look into it before we told anyone else, Maria let it slip a few months back," Cap admitted.  
  
Tony huffed.  "Secrets, always with the secrets..."  
  
"Says the man who couldn't pick up a phone when a supervillain blew up his house and took his girlfriend," Clint snapped.  
  
"Guys," Steve raised his hand.  
  
"We needed to know what we were dealing with.  From what I found out, only a few people knew about it at all, Fury, Hill and...Sitwell.  Coulson's been leading a SHIELD team since his resurrection," Clint said, calmer but the twist of betrayal was still sharp in Tony's gut.  "Under constant monitoring because even though Fury made the call to dose him - he doesn't trust that he came out the same way he went under."  
  
"Goddammit, if that one-eyed bastard wasn't already dead - " Tony started, closing his mouth when Natasha, Steve and the new guy all looked away shiftily.  "You're kidding."  
  
"They have Banner's research, too," Natasha said quietly.  "He was hurt pretty bad, but he's getting over it."  
  
"Last text I got said he was going to help some guy named Phil.  Seems to think I'm Cap's personal assistant or something," Sam said.  
  
Tony sat down on the bed beside Steve and unfolded the bright red t-shirt and proceeded to manhandle it over Steve's neck and shoulders.  "I need a time out on this conversation."  
  
Steve was more cooperative than Tony expected but the man was visibly exhaused and, well, wrecked.  "You still with us, Cap?"  
  
"I can't expect you guys to help me, but I'm hoping...we can do this as a team.  HYDRA, Dark Elves, Kaiju," Steve started.    
  
"That was a movie," Bruce interjected.  
  
Steve smiled.  "Yeah.  But I've seen more unbelievable things in reality.  I'm in this fight, hell, I started this fight - and I'd really like it if..."  
  
"Wait, are you making sure we're on the team?  You really do need to sleep," Tony sighed.  
  
"We're here because they betrayed us and came after our friends," Clint said.  
  
"Plus there's that whole genocide thing, but yeah, he's right," Sam shrugged.  
  
"We're the Avengers, Steve, and you're our Captain," Bruce said quietly.  Banner was the most reluctant superhero in their group and his words hung heavy in the room until Steve nodded and smiled.  
  
"Okay.  You've heard the skeleton plans, tell me your thoughts, one at a time so we can all be on the same page before we split up.  I'm pretty sure Sue's going to break up the meeting so she can poke me with something soon," Steve said.  
  
It was the first time they were working as a team voluntarily and Tony didn't hide his surprise at Steve's statement.  He'd never liked taking orders as a rule but Steve was asking for input - not barking assignments.  
  
This team might actually work if they could find a way to get along with each other and Steve seemed to have a knack of turning strangers into friends.

* * *

 


	2. coda

"Huh."  Steve blinked at Bruce and Johnny who blinked back.  Before frantically scrambling for clothes.  Bruce cursed under his breath.  He wanted to tell his friend before he got outed as a liar.  
  
"Steve, we were going to tell you - " Johnny started.  
  
Steve blinked at him.  "Oh, I already knew you guys...hung out sometimes.  But it's noon and Sue and Reed are both in the kitchen so I thought you'd be done by now.  Plus, your door was unlocked," he motioned behind him.  
  
Bruce narrowed his eyes at Johnny who was visibly shocked.  "Noon?"  
  
"You knew?" Bruce redirected his attention so the Hulk would remain under his skin despite his annoyance at Johnny's fail at stealth.  
  
"Enhanced hearing.  And he's loud even when you gag him," Steve replied shiftily with a nod at Johnny.  
  
"Oh my God," Bruce muttered, covering his face.  
  
Steve motioned to his rumpled bag in the corner.  "That's why I came down, your phone's been buzzing forever and it's driving me slightly nuts because no one else hears it.  I can feel it vibrating the floor.  Sue's threatening to dose me if I can't relax but..."  
  
Johnny got to the bag before Bruce could move and powered off the phone.  "Sorry, dude, sit down - "  
  
Steve pointed at the bed with both fingers.  "Ew."  
  
Bruce stood up and took Steve's shoulders, turning him to the side as Johnny slid over the rolling desk chair until it hit his legs.  Steve sat.  "What's wrong?  Why is Sue worried?"  
  
Sue treated Steve like a surrogate brother, or a stray cat, depending on who you were talking to - but they were all lucky she had come to their aid when Steve decided to bring down a government agency and crash the stock market on his own.  Her medical experience and affection for Cap had saved them all.  
  
Steve had become a good friend for too many people for them to survive losing him, especially in the line of fire.    
  
It had been four days since he'd coded on the floor of a helicopter.  A normal person would be incapacitated for months but Steve should be much further along than he actually was with the serum in his system.  
  
He put his fingers against Steve's neck and could feel the rabbit heartbeat without applying any pressure.  "Take a deep breath and hold it, Cap.  If it's noon, why are you so ramped up?"  
  
Steve shook his head slightly.  
  
"Did you get cold?" Johnny asked softly.  "You get weird when you get cold."  
  
Bruce hadn't considered that but something flickered in Steve's eyes.  "Oh.  The hot water's broken."  
  
"Shit, man, I'm sorry.  The water and the cold probably flipped all your switches," Johnny hissed.  
  
"I didn't think of that," Steve said.  "I would have used the hair dryer or something.  Johnny, can you, I mean...will  you do the thing?  It helped last time."  
  
Johnny avoided Bruce's eyes.  "Yeah, man, anything.  You sure you trust me?"  
  
"I wouldn't ask you if I didn't.  I trust you," Steve replied.  
  
"Sorry, but what is 'the thing'?" Bruce interrupted.  
  
"I've been practicing my control so I won't burn people if I have to scoop them up," Johnny said, conjuring fire to his fingertips as he turned to Steve.  "Tell me how close."  He raised the flame to Steve's extended hand and hovered it above his knuckles.  
  
"There.  Perfect," Steve said when the fire was barely an inch from his skin.  Bruce held his breath as the flame expanded until it covered Steve's entire forearm.  
  
"Ice cream makes him throw up," Johnny said in a quiet voice as Steve was engulfed in calm, oddly soothing, flames.  "He gets weird with cold."  
  
Steve spoke from inside the barrier of fire.  "I tried a York Peppermint Patty and it made me weird."  
  
"Anything new after DC?" Bruce asked as the fire receded into Johnny's steady hands and Steve sagged back against the unsinged chair.  He took his wrist and checked his pulse.  It was slower than before the fire show but still too fast.  
  
Steve hesitated.  Bruce watched him until he sighed.  "I can't explain it.  It's the sound, the clang of metal on metal...but more the feeling of it, the vibration.  It keeps hitting me at the weirdest times, like your phone."  
  
"I'll get Sue off your back if you'll let Bruce look you over.  And never talk about what you walked in on."  
  
Steve rolled his eyes at Johnny.  "If I haven't talked about it before, I'm definitely not going to start now.  It's none of my business.  Besides, I've seen Bruce naked tons of times."  He slumped in the chair with a tired sigh when Johnny left them.  "I didn't mean to interrupt."  
  
"Hey.  You knew you needed a hand and you asked for one, it's not your fault Johnny fails at privacy," Bruce said.    
  
"He really likes you.  I hope it's more than just a physical thing but I think it works for both of you either way," Steve said.  
  
Bruce patted his knee.  "I think so, too, but don't tell him.  The fire helps?"  He needed to change the subject before he confessed how much he liked Johnny back.  
  
"It's warm and it's unbelievable and that's my life now, not the cold, white ice.  It helps," Steve said.  "It's all in my head, right?"  
  
He nodded.  "Yeah, but you've got a lot of stuff in your head right now.  You need to rest.  You need to sleep."  
  
"I know.  I'm trying."  
  
"I know," Bruce said.  But everyone knew that trying didn't mean achieving.  
  


* * *

  
  
"Romanov's going to kill me for this," Maria muttered under her breath as she leaned in for another kiss.  
  
"You can tell her it was my idea," Steve hummed against her lips.  
  
"No one would believe that," she replied, adjusting her position to straddle his massive thighs on the infuriatingly plush chair.  She had to restrain herself from groping the bulge in his jeans and put her hands on his neck and tilted his face.  "I've wanted to do this a very long time but I hope you trust me enough now to let me."  
  
She'd made her intentions clear the first time she'd kissed him after a long mission in the Pacific several months before all this; but he'd been suspicious of SHIELD from the beginning and he, politely, turned her down.  
  
It had been a longshot and she was always best when she was on her own; but without SHIELD she was without purpose for the first time since she signed her enlistment papers.  She was twisting in the wind in a world that she'd made worse instead of better.  
  
Cap had been her coworker, but Steve was her friend.  
  
"There's only a handful of people I trust but you're the only one I want to do this with."  He nipped at her lower lip.  
  
"You're such a fucking tease," she said but she could see the nervousness in his eyes.  His hands slowly slid down her back to cup her ass and she forgot about the hesitation.  
  
"You have to go on a date with me.  And talk to me the next day," he said when he pulled back to catch his breath.  "And not be mad when I'm bad at this."  
  
He was sweet but not saccharine.  Confident but not cocky.  Smart but not condescending.  She didn't need to consider the physical part.  Hell, she didn't need to consider any of it.  She wasn't the assistant director of an upstanding government defense organization.  She was a faux human resources manager on the verge of moving into a van down by the river if she didn't get a paycheck soon.  
  
Maria held his gaze, those deep blue eyes searching for the soul she'd almost lost to SHIELD.  "I'm going to parade your ass all over town."  She cupped his chin.  "I'll teach you to dance and to sext and how to drive a car with my hand down your..."  
  
"Jesus Christ - oh, fuck you both," Clint's voice cut off her words as Steve's face flushed red.  "I'm telling Natasha."  
  
Maria leaned back against Steve's strong hands and narrowed her eyes at Clint over his shoulder as he buried his face into her shoulder to muffle his laugh.  
  
But it was a real laugh and Clint's face softened at the sound.  
  
"Get out, Barton, unless something that's not Johnny is on fire," Maria ordered.  
  
Clint flipped her off.  "Cap, Sue and Bruce cleared you to move to the Tower when you're ready.  You have your own room over there."  
  
"Rain check on those lessons?" Steve murmured into her ear.  
  
"Damn right."  
  


* * *

  
  
"The deal looks good, Sam.  Rhodey's got you wrapped around his little finger, doesn't he?" Steve asked him over the Skype screen.  
  
Sam rolled his eyes.  Colonel Rhodes was his hero, not to mention the part that Sam had no idea how to make deals involving national security on his own.  He never wanted to be a politician.  "Don't start.  You're definitely in a better mood than earlier.  Bruce said you had a bad morning."  
  
"Yeah.  But I had a nice afternoon.  Tony's giving me a whole floor and there's a nice apartment set up for you across the hall from my suite," Steve smiled.  It was a real smile and Sam didn't hide his relief.  Thank God for nice afternoons.  
  
"Does that mean I can take a break from the diplomacy gig?" he asked hopefully.  
  
Steve shrugged.  "I'm doing a press conference day after tomorrow and I'm rallying the troops.  I want you and Nat at my side, if you're up for it."  
  
"Dude."  Steve smiled and Sam leaned forward to make sure he wasn't imagining it on his friend.  "Do you want to tell me what's up now or wait until I get there?"  
  
"I talked to Maria.  We're going to try it," Steve confessed softly.  
  
He whistled.  "That's new.  I didn't know you and Hill were that close."  
  
Steve lowered his gaze.  "She approached me before but I had too many doubts.  I think I'm ready now.  She likes me and...I like her, too.  We're friends and I'm going to try and see if there can be more.  If I can have more this time."  
  
"About time, Cap.  I'm going to mock the shit out of you when I get there but I'm happy for you.  While you're still in a good mood, do you want to talk about the bad part of your day?"  
  
Steve's eyes flickered with annoyance.  "Can I defer that conversation?"  
  
He shook his head.  "Sorry, but I have trustworthy Intel that says you aren't talking about Barnes so I'm stepping up.  Tell me something."  
  
"No," Steve replied immediately.  "I'm still thinking about it.  Going through the files, getting my head together.  I'm not talking about it because I don't know what to say."  He met his gaze onscreen.  "That's off limits."  
  
It was a sharper tone than Sam expected but Cap seemed equally surprised.  
  
"This morning was bad because I got cold.  I mean, it snowed like crazy last winter and I made it through but today the water in the shower was freezing.  Bruce and Johnny figured out I was having a panic attack."  Steve took an audible breath.  "It wasn't about Bucky today, don't make it."  
  
Sam held up his hands.  "I'm not - "  
  
"Sorry, sorry.  I don't mean to be a brat," Steve interrupted, scrubbing a hand across his face and shaggy beard.  "I have to sleep but I wanted to talk to you first."  
  
"Hey.  You're doing fine, Cap.  I thought you'd sleep better when you healed - are you - "  
  
"I'm fine.  I hope I've tired myself out enough to sleep longer than a few hours."  He snorted and smiled.  "I have my own place again so I can sleep on the floor and use all the blankets.  I mean, Sue and Johnny's place was great but..."  
  
"Having your own space is better.  Is Tony overdosing you with confusing tech?" Sam asked to change the subject and hopefully ratchet down Steve's elevated tension.  
  
Sam wished he could have let the heavy conversation wait but he was too worried about his friend and too far from him to help.  Counseling was, sort of, his thing and from what he was being told, Cap wasn't talking to anyone else.  
  
"Not as much as I thought.  I have a built-in babysitter in the ceiling but other than that, it's fancy but not overly complicated yet," Steve said.  "Emphasis on the 'yet'."  
  
"I'm meeting Natasha in a few and we'll head your way as soon as we do some rescheduling," Sam said.  "I want to play with Stark's toys."  
  
"He might have new wings for you by then," Steve said.  
  
Sam grinned.  "In that case, we'll be there even sooner."  
  


* * *

  
  
Tony smiled when he heard Pepper and Steve chatting softly in the penthouse when he emerged from the workshop.  The Richards clan had been a godsend after the fall of SHIELD but Steve had improved tenfold after a night in the Tower.  He would preen if he wasn't working toward being less of an asshole.  
  
JARVIS had been keeping tabs on Cap and the news that he had slept for six full hours brought relief to all his worried friends.  
  
Cap even looked better, the bruises completely faded, clean shaven and no hollow circles under his eyes.  This was the Steve they needed back, the one capable of being their Captain.  
  
"Making time with my girl, Cap?  I'm betrayed," Tony said, kissing Pepper on the cheek and taking the cushion between them on the couch.  
  
"I'm telling him about restaurants with the best wine but I'm not the lucky guest," Pepper said with a teasing smirk.  
  
Tony raised an eyebrow.  "If it's who I think it is, then you should just invite her downstairs after the meeting with a case of beer.  Maybe order something from the wine cellar."  
  
"I think I drank all the '46," Steve said guiltily.  
  
"I might have helped, that was a great year," Pepper nodded fondly.  "And he has to take her out, we went shopping yesterday and he should show her off.  She likes good wine, too."  
  
"I thought she liked tequila," Tony said, snickering at Steve's blush and middle finger.  "But what's the reason for the sudden lightheartedness?"  
  
Steve visibly steadied himself.  "I'm going to find Bucky, help him.  I'm going to do everything possible to help him.  But I'm not one hundred percent yet.  I haven't been since I woke up or I would have seen SHIELD was dirty before all this had to happen.  Peggy's gone, in all the ways that matter - she's gone.  I like Maria and I think...I think I can let go of Peggy if she likes me back.  I can let go of SHIELD's steady umbrella if I have a team watching my back."  
  
"And Bucky?" Tony asked.  
  
"If I can save the Winter Soldier, then I can let go of Bucky.  I have to close that door until I'm healed and steady.  I have very explicit instructions.  Sue typed them and everything," Steve said.  
  
Tony shared a glance with Pepper.  It seemed too easy but they weren't about to talk him out of his new zen.  
  


* * *

  
  
"If I'd known hooking up with you would put him in such a good mood, I might have given you a little more help with your crush," Natasha murmured to Maria.  
  
"Fuck you.  And I don't think the credit goes to me, something's up with him," Maria replied back in an equally low voice.  
  
Steve stood up and with the crowd of people sitting around the conference room; it was like Arthur calling for quiet at the Round Table.  
  
But they weren't knights and they weren't fighting dragons.  Those guys had it easy.  
  
"All right, guys, I've had a couple of weeks to lick my wounds and I'm grateful for all the hard work you've done with me out of commission.  I honestly didn't think of how big this would get, how far HYDRA's tentacles really went. We have a common enemy but I have no doubt that we can win this war and take our country back," Steve said.  
  
"We don't need a sweeping speech, you can save that for the cameras, Cap," Clint said.  "I'm eager to get to the drinking part of this reunion, we've all been monitoring the wires and are up to date on the alliances and plans."  
  
"You should let him talk, Barton, I don't want to go back to Congress, I only have three suits," Sam elbowed him.  
  
Cap snorted.  "So much for practicing my sweeping speech.  But I do have something new to report from my end."  
  
"What end would that be?  You were standing down," Natasha said, scanning him.  
  
Steve glanced away for a moment.  "I'm still standing down in this particular situation."  
  
"Barnes?  Steve, do you know where Barnes is?" Bruce asked suddenly.  Natasha must have missed some kind of clue considering Tony's delayed but equally alarmed expression.  
  
He turned and flipped on one of the screens and it settled on a still image.  Natasha recognized Fury immediately off to the side but her eyes were locked on the one-armed man glaring suspiciously at a nurse.  
  
"Nick caught up with him a few days ago.  He has experience in bringing people back from the dark side," Steve said, pointedly not looking at her.  "I don't follow Fury's orders anymore, but we came to an agreement.  He gets a month before I hunt him down, but until then, he's keeping him off the grid.  He might be shady as hell, but I'm letting him use his connections to see if there's any chance..."  
  
"Did any of you know about this?" Natasha asked, snapping her eyes to Maria, but it was obvious that everyone was shocked.  
  
Steve shook his head and sighed.  "You all know I went off script for a little bit.  I didn't think everything through and knowing he was still out there, running back to HYDRA or going into hiding - I wouldn't be able to function until I found him.  Nick's got him, not HYDRA, and he's safe and getting help that I wouldn't be able to give him.  Since Nick's legally dead, he's the best choice to hide him and I get regular updates."  
  
"Shouldn't those updates come to the whole team?" Tony asked, frowning.  
  
"Why didn't you tell us you had been talking to Nick?" Maria echoed.  She looked as betrayed as Natasha felt.  
  
Steve braced himself with both hands on the table.  "I'm compromised.  Bringing down HYDRA has to be the primary objective.  Bucky...the Winter Soldier, he's only a part of that.  He's a part I can't deal with."  He turned to Thor.  "If there was a way for you to bring your brother back, even knowing all his sins, if you could bring him back - wouldn't you try?"  
  
Thor's eyes were dark but he nodded, holding Cap's gaze.  "I do not envy your plight, Captain, but I think we are all weary of secrets."  
  
"Me, too.  That's why I'm bringing this to you.  I really want to bust into Fury's bunker and see Bucky for myself - "  
  
"He's not Bucky," Natasha interrupted.  
  
Steve met her eyes.  "Which proves my point, doesn't it?  I can't handle that situation and unfortunately, I needed you all here helping me with the fallout that affects other people.  Bucky's mine, my priority - but he can't be Captain America's top priority.  Everyone's been amazing.  Thor's got most of Europe and Southern Asia on our side and Tony's press junket swung the US approval rating our way in the first week.  Sam, Natasha and Colonel Rhodes have worked out those pesky government inquests and Bruce has lots of complicated words to put in bullet points for us later.  The fires are out."  
  
"It doesn't sound like you're building up for a vacation speech," Clint murmured.  
  
Steve snorted.  "I wish.  It's time to start sweeping up and fireproofing the team."  
  
"So what's the plan?" Maria asked, her face settled back into familiar indifference but Natasha had a feeling she'd be bringing up Cap's omissions later.  
  
"We're going to draw up a map and go hunting," Steve replied.  "It'll take some time and we all have lives outside of the Avengers we have to get back to.  Natasha, I'm hoping you'll follow up on Barnes for me.  Play my spy instead of Fury's for a bit."  
  
Natasha didn't need to think about it.  "Of course, Cap."  
  
"I agree with this plan.  We have given HYDRA time to hide like cowards and it is high time we flush them out of their holes," Thor said.  
  
"We have a lot of leads, but I think we're as ready as we're going to get," Cap said.  
  
Natasha wanted to be in the field with her team, but she felt honored to be the one he trusted with his self-admitted first priority.  She would do her best to get Bucky back to their captain.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Lyrics belong to Brand New.


End file.
